1. The two-minute power play, in which goals count double, can have a direct impact in the final result
It can also seriously dampen a team’s spirit. You just have to ask Kovsies and Maties about that. Kovsies conceded 10 points to UP-Tuks in the second power play without scoring any themselves. Maties were level at 30-all with NWU-Pukke at the start of the second power play. At the end of those two minutes Pukke were leading 38-30 and the game was comfortably in the bag.
2. There is sister pairing in the competition again
At UCT, Micaela Peters (goal shooter) and her older sister and captain, Simone (goal keeper), share the same parents. Last year the Madibaz had the Willemse sisters, Kara and Yolande and from 2013 to 2015 Kovsies had two sisters playing next to one another in Karla and Tanya Mostert. The latter took over the captaincy from Karla who is four years older and too old (26) to participate in the series any longer.
3. UP-Tuks will be a formidable team if they can string all the ends together
They will be strengthened by Lenize Potgieter and Izette Lubbe, who were on national duty in Australasia and unavailable for the first round. Tuks will boast two of the country’s most accurate shooters in Potgieter and Ine-Marí Venter. Against Kovsies Venter averaged 81%.
4. The names of five Pukke players end with an acute accent on the last E
They are: Romé (Dreyer), Jeanté (Strydom), Zandré (Kruger), Chanté (Bester) and Simoné (Rabie).
5. There’s a Springbok rugby connection at UJ
Nompumelelo “Mpumi” Mbonambi, defender of the University of Johannesburg, is the younger sister of Springbok hooker Bongi, who she regards as her role model. And guess what? They are exactly the same height at 1.76m!
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